Female fertility preservation, such as through egg or embryo freezing, is becoming increasingly visible across the world. In Qatar, it is still new, introduced only in 2021, and surrounded by important questions about family life, religion, gender roles, and healthcare access. Although fertility rates among Qatari women have dropped from 3.9 to 2.9 children per woman between 2008 and 2017 pasted, we know very little about why these shifts are happening or how women and families make decisions about their reproductive futures.

Existing studies in Qatar have relied mostly on medical records and surveys, leaving a major gap in understanding people’s real experiences. No qualitative study has explicitly spoken directly to women undergoing fertility preservation in Qatar, which is exactly where our project steps in.

Why This Study Matters

Research across the Arab world shows that decisions about fertility involve far more than biology. They are shaped by marriage timing, education levels, religious values, stigma, career pressures, and family expectations. Women in the Gulf, like elsewhere, often face what scholars call a “fertility penalty”: physically demanding procedures, age-related pressures, and complex social expectations around marriage and motherhood pasted.

Our goal is to bring these lived realities into focus so policies, healthcare services, and ethical guidelines can be grounded in what women actually need. Not what we assume they need.

What We’re Doing: An interdisciplinary community-centered approach

1. Listening to People’s Real Experiences

We will conduct 35–50 in-depth interviews with women aged 18–45 (Qatari and non-Qatari), married and single, who are considering or undergoing egg or embryo freezing for either medical or elective reasons. When relevant, we will also speak with their partners. These conversations help us understand:

• motivations

• challenges

• emotional and ethical concerns

• how family, religion, and society shape their decisions

2. Including Voices from Inside the System

We will also interview 8–12 fertility specialists and mental health providers across public and private clinics. Their insights help us understand how services are structured, what challenges clinics face, and what support systems are missing.

3. A Snapshot of Public Attitudes

To complement the interviews, we will run a short, 5–7-minute exploratory survey among university communities and clinic visitors. It will capture general perceptions about egg freezing, without aiming to be nationally representative. This gives us a quick overview of public sentiment to enrich our qualitative findings.

4. Bringing Community and Experts Together

We will organize two community forums, a defining part of our approach. These gatherings bring together:

• social scientists

• clinicians

• Islamic bioethicists

• mental health professionals

• policymakers

• (when permitted) people with lived experience

These forums act as a steering committee, ensuring the research stays grounded in community priorities and Qatar’s cultural and ethical landscape.

5. Deep, Rigorous Analysis

We use multiple qualitative approaches, including thematic, narrative, and grounded theory analysis, to identify patterns, stories, and themes. This makes the research:

• systematic

• credible

• transparent

• grounded in lived realities

We will also cross-check insights with stakeholders during the community forums.

What This Approach Allows Us to Do

Our methodology is intentionally interdisciplinary and community engaged. It helps us:

✔ Understand how fertility preservation intersects with family, gender, ethics, and national priorities

Qatar is pronatalist, highly invested in family wellbeing, and committed to women’s health—the study speaks directly to these goals.

✔ Capture the real stories behind statistics

Qualitative research reveals the “why” behind delayed marriage, declining fertility, and new reproductive practices.

✔ Inform better policies, guidelines, and patient care

Our findings aim to support policymakers, clinicians, and mental health teams in designing more holistic, culturally grounded services.

✔ Engage Qatar in global conversations

This will be the first study of its kind in the Gulf, strengthening Qatar’s leadership in reproductive health, Islamic bioethics, and social policy.

Our Approach: How We Study Fertility Preservation in Qatar

Understanding our project's methodology